


hurt

by waterfallkarl



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, M/M, Minecraft Manhunt, Multi, dont worry it will be better this time, dreamnotnap, lots and lots of angst, minecraft manhunt irl, there will be extremely cute moments tho, trigger warnings at the beginning of chapters as needed, yes this is a remake
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-14 20:41:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28926711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waterfallkarl/pseuds/waterfallkarl
Summary: Minecraft: Virtual Reality Projection has finally been released to a handful of content creators for testing and advertising after years of secret development. Nobody knows how such a thing could be created or what it entails, but as Clay and his friends are sent an early version of the game, there is only one way to play it that makes sense: Manhunt. In a whole new world where it is Clay’s goal to beat the Ender Dragon and George and Nick’s goal to stop him from achieving that victory, will they grow closer together and acknowledge the feelings that brew so clearly between them? Or will the simulation’s pain feel real enough to break them?As Nick hears the words of Endermen whispering sinister things to him about Clay’s demise, he can’t help but feel that something in this game is more off than they think.❀ ❀ ❀real names are used because i don’t like writing their usernames in stories. if any of them turn out to be uncomfy with this or with anything in my story i will revise/remove it immediately. enjoy
Relationships: Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 19





	hurt

**Author's Note:**

> hi! i hope you all enjoy this new story! i am also actively updating one called youth which is karlnap, so check that one out too if you’re interested! :) this one is probably going to be for older audiences and have darker themes, so please read at your own discretion! thank you for reading i love you all sm

The world was spinning like a top. The nerves were slowly reconnecting in Nick's body, and while he grimaced, his lips tingled with numbness. He carefully opened his eyes and tried to look around, but the sun was painfully blinding. He reached his arm out into the air, covering the light with his hand, stuck out at a sideways angle with four fingers. His exposed skin flared up from the heat, and made him smile weakly. The numb sensation that had coursed throughout every vein in his body finally dissipated, and he was alert to the grass under his weight and the wind ruffling through his hair.

"Oh my god," He muttered to himself, in awe of how real this all felt, and how when he stopped using his hand as a light shield, he had to squint to stare up into the sky again. This was a very different Minecraft than the kind that they saw on their screens, safe in the comfort of their own homes. This was revolutionary, a breakthrough for mankind. A projection into an alternate world where he could breathe and feel and live.

Nick pulled himself up to his feet, searching the landscape as he loosely fixed at his hair. He didn't know exactly what he looked like, but he imagined that he appeared to be himself in the real world with the outfit of his character. Especially when he rubbed his hand against his chin and felt the familiar scruff of his stubble against his skin; his body was taken from reality rather than imagination.

It made everything feel even more strange. He was almost nervous that this simulation was reality and that everything he had experienced before was just an elaborate dream. It was hard for simple brains to wrap around the fact that in the modern day and age technology was now advanced enough to project your consciousness into a video game character. It felt like only years ago that he was clutching a Game Boy between his hands, playing through short games consisted of pixels that could be picked out by the natural eye.

Humanity was evolving at a faster pace than ever, and it was only a manner of time before there didn't have to be roadblocks in imagination. Nick could only wonder if or when the whole world was just going to crash and burn from the consequences of everyone's bold actions.

For now, though, he just had to push those doubtful thoughts aside, because damn, did this make him feel alive.

The tall grass rustled all around him, the surface of the greenery swathed in a morning yellow glow. Flowers bloomed in various colors all around him, ranging in heights small enough only to be seen when his checker shoes parted the grass to big enough to tower over the rest of the undergrowth and cast a shadow. There weren't many trees in sight at the moment, but the couple that he did catch between his eyes stood out starkly from the field, with strong long branches and leaves that rustled with the steady breeze.

It was beautiful, and unlike anything he had seen in real life. It wasn't every day that Nick got to stand in a meadow, completely wild and unexplored. When he did acquire such a location and sight, he was probably surrounded by tourists with cameras, and there was boardwalk under his feet. As he navigated his way through the grass, he searched the area for the other two people he was expecting.

He wasn't here alone. He would be crazy to commit to this all by himself.

In the distance, in a patch of grass just as Nick had opened his eyes in, a thin figure got up on his feet and put his hand to his forehead to filter the sun. Nick smiled, wading through the grass faster, as he was eager to greet his friend. The shape turned, and it was clear that the man was none other than George. Why was he squinting and looking under his hand when he had a pair of perfectly functional sunglasses propped atop his head? Nick couldn't help but chuckle. Of course George would be unaware that his Minecraft skin had translated into his form in the virtual reality.

"George!" Nick called out once he was sure he was within earshot range. George turned fully to look at him, and even from a bit away, he could watch the grin grow on his face.

"Sapnap!" George responded with a bright laugh, and the two moved through the field faster than ever until Nick was close enough to pull his friend into a tight embrace.

"Wow," He breathed, squeezing the small frame between his arms. George felt dainty and little in the sweetest of ways, and his shoulder smelled of fresh vanilla. He probably held him for a bit too long, because the man stiffened in his touch, and he had to force himself to pull away with a shy smile. "It's great to finally see you, George."

"Even if it's not real." George said cockily as he stepped back, raising an eyebrow and showing off the slightest smirk.

"Feels real enough to me." Nick replied simply, turning to look over the landscape again. "Have you seen Dream?"

"Why would I see Dream before you if I just got up?" George acted like he was taunting him, to which Nick groaned and rolled his eyes.

"Oh, shut up, George. I might as well ask."

"You know, he's probably far out there, already collecting all the materials he needs to kick our asses." George huffed with amusement, crossing his arms over his chest. Nick couldn't help but notice how soft his outfit was in style was compared to his own; George was literally wearing a white collared shirt under a large blue sweater, and tight dark jeans that made his legs look skinny. It probably wasn't optimal for him to wear such a thing in an environment where he was going to be dealing with the harsh elements and fighting against enemies that couldn't be imagined realistically in their heads just yet. However, Nick wouldn't make him change outfits for the world even if he could. George looked so adorable, and he used that compliment rather sparingly. It would take a lot more effort to say something like that out loud, especially since George wasn't easy to accept affections of any form. So for now he just let it linger in his head as he shifted his gaze back to the meadow that surrounded them.

After a couple minutes of searching and shifting through the grass, Nick finally paused and softened as he caught the sight of the second figure he expected in the distance. Whom he assumed to be Clay was standing under the shade of a tall oak tree, his green hoodie matching the tones of the leaves that created a roof over his head. He was standing so his back was facing the duo, so Nick was staring at the back of his head. His hair was a dusty blond, hues amplified by the yellow light that still scattered over his body despite the cover of the tree he stood under. He had a pair of simple jeans on, and a brown strap around his shoulder that didn't secure anything just yet. He turned to Nick and George to reveal a white mask covering his face, a black smiley-face drawn on it.

"Dream!" George called first, ripping Nick away from his admiring and daydreaming.

Nick would've repeated after George and run up to the man at the same pace that the smaller was at the moment, but as he noticed the pure joy in his features and the skip in his step, he realized that it was more important for the two to have their moment. Nick had met Clay in person before, but George hadn't until now. He felt it was his duty to stand back and watch the fireworks arise from the two as they hugged while he waited for his turn. And he did just that, the corners of his lips turning up in admiration as his two closest friends met in the middle between their previous location and the oak tree, wrapping their arms around each other eagerly.

Nick could tell that George was a little more comfortable being held by Clay. He didn't mind. Clay was definitely one of the best huggers he had the pleasure of holding throughout his entire life. It was long and sweet, passionate but gentle, and at his impressive height at 6'3", it was comforting to feel his head nudge against Nick's hair or his arms slide affectionately around his waist. Nick had memorized the feeling that Clay's touch created, because during the month that they had spent together, he was so afraid of forgetting what he felt like once they separated. Luckily, he hadn't forgotten. And once George and Clay finally pulled away and exchanged a few meaningful words, Nick stepped in to receive a brand new hug he was sure he also wouldn't forget.

"Oh Sapnap," Clay laughed softly, squeezing him in his arms, to which he couldn't help but melt and hold the man tighter. If George felt frail and smelled like vanilla, then Clay felt firm and smelled like honeysuckle. When they finally pulled away from each other's grasp, Nick couldn't help but notice how Clay's hair was lined with gold from the beaming sun.

"Missed you, man." Nick couldn't help but admit. He knew that Clay was going to be recording all of this somehow using whatever software had been created to capture the picture of virtual reality, but he had to be upfront with him. There was going to be a lot of editing done on this video, so it would be easy to pick out certain things that Clay didn't want included, like Nick's genuine friendly comments or even the footage of them embracing. It was just so personal, so real, that maybe some of it needed to be cut out. There was only so much that could be shown to the world. Some things just needed to stay between the three of them.

"Missed you too, Pandas." Clay murmured without second thought, and Nick couldn't help but grin like an idiot at the nickname. That was definitely not something that Clay whipped out every single time they talked, so whenever the throwback was mentioned, he felt a generous amount of butterflies explode in his stomach.

"Aww." Nick said simply, snickering and shaking his head like it didn't affect him so much. "Don't fluster me, Dream."

Clay chuckled quietly, which only made Nick's heart skip even more beats than before. He had known for quite some time now that this man held his heart in his hands, but figured that he would never be able to get ahold of his in return. That was fine, he had come to terms with it, especially when Clay and George flirted ruthlessly while he operated the third wheel. He wasn't mad. In fact, he found the two to be quite cute together. He was honestly more surprised at this point that they hadn't confessed their feelings to each other, at least to his own knowledge. George was already giving him heart eyes in this very moment and Clay hadn't even removed the mask from his face. It was clear that the connection they had was unconditional, and George would love Clay the same no matter what he looked like. Well bonus points to him, because Clay was hot as hell. Nick could only wonder how long it was going to take before the mask would come off and he'd reveal himself to George.

It was probably harder for Clay this time around because even though the chemistry between him and George bubbled over the edge with endless passion, there was more pressure on his shoulders from the whole world begging for his face reveal. It wasn't like he was about to give in to their demands, but Nick could only imagine that he felt like his face was underwhelming compared to the hysteria that rippled across his fanbase like riptides. He remembered how they would lay together on the couch during that month they spent in the rented house, and Clay would speak up, sharing his jumbled thoughts on his face and whether keeping it a secret was a selfish act or not.

Even to George. Nick picked up on the guilt that seeped from Clay's tongue when he talked about how he still hadn't shown his face even to his other close friend. How he'd open his camera and hover his finger over the button, wondering what would happen if he just pressed it and sent it without a single thought. He wondered aloud what kept him from just doing that, to finally showing George what he looked like.

Nick's theory was that he needed the perfect time, not just any time, to show George. Which seemed just over the horizon as he took note of the sparks that generated in the air just because the two were so close to each other.

God, they would be so perfect together. Nick smirked as he thought about all the footage that was going to be edited out of this damn video.

He wasn't bitter. He wasn't sad. He was delighted to see the two stand so close under the harsh rays of the sun. He just wanted them both to be happy, and he was willing to do that even with the sacrifice of his own feelings.

Nick felt he needed to get over it, but to be honest, the fact that they were in this world, just the three of them, it was harder to repress than ever. He wondered just how long it would take before one of them gave in and confessed. Maybe Clay would open up to George or something. It seemed unlikely that George would make any first moves.

They stood in peaceful quiet for a while, admiring their surroundings, but the air between them suddenly grew tense. It seemed like they were all realizing that they were going to have to start the game they had been planning for; they were going to recreate the Minecraft Manhunt series in this virtual reality.

Fortunately, some things were explained about this world. One, everything about the original Minecraft has been put into this alternate universe, but with realistic appearances. Two, players can navigate the world and collect materials just as they could playing the game normally. Three, all senses have been implemented into their bodies. Nick lifted his arm, putting his hand close to his wrist and pinching the skin just to feel the discomfort shoot up his spine. They could feel pain.

That was probably the scariest thing about this game. They knew they could back out at any time, but the pain they were going to feel — from monsters, from elements, from each other — was all real and probably excruciating. Nick didn't think about it too much before, but now as his mind dwelled on it, he felt sweat welling at his forehead.

Clay finally broke the silence. "I think we should start soon, I don't want us to lose daylight."

George nodded, but they all went still again, not really knowing what to say. It was different this time. They all stood there, made of flesh and bone, staring each other down and taking mental notes of their features. George's sweet face and wobbly legs, Clay's tranquility and impressive stature, Nick's ditziness and playful smiles.

"Okay, whether you both want to slack off or not is up to you." Clay teased, his voice like pouring honey. "I'm starting now, so the second I move, you can stop me."

"Okay," Nick affirmed, immediately getting into the zone. His heart raced, as it was more exciting this time around, and he stepped into place straight across from George, with Clay in the middle. Considering their size differences, it might be a little harder to push Clay around in the beginning of this Manhunt, especially if it was coming from George's hands. But Nick knew they had the advantage, as it was two against one, even if him and George's strength had to combine to get close to taking him down.

The silence felt like a dark cloud swathing their bodies, weighing them down even as they used all their energy to concentrate. It was tense, and even awkward. Clay checked out his surroundings with the eyes of an expert, his dedication to Minecraft amplifying whatever strategy he was putting together in his head. Nick broke his stance for a moment as he pondered how Clay could see through the mask. He didn't see any holes cut in it; maybe it was just something that couldn't be explained. There were a lot of things in this world that simply couldn't be explained, and they were going to face through so much of it as they went on this journey together.

While he was softened up, of course Clay decided to dart out from between them, and George immediately shouted a "No!", sprinting after the man alongside Nick once he fixed his composure. They both reached out towards Clay with outstretched hands, aiming to yank him backwards by the back of his hood if they ever got close enough. But Clay was fast, which made sense, because he and Nick both used to be avid sports players. George lagged behind them, panting and looking sweaty already. Nick glanced behind him to take note of his teammate before he finally slowed down and put his hands on his knees, watching as Clay continued to run until he disappeared between the close trees of an oak forest.

He turned around to face George with a toothy grin. "We'll catch him later. It'll be easier when we can actually do damage to him, anyway."

It was easier to call what they would be doing "damage," because the thought of doing actual harm to his friend pained Nick. It was just a simulation, it wasn't like the pain was real. Besides, the combat might just be whacking someone with a weapon, and their body would flash red just like it would do in the game, and the pain would just be blunt and without correlation. But as he pinched his skin again, deep in thought, he realized it probably wouldn't be that simple.

He wondered if he would be seeing blood on their hands.

He shuddered, turning to recuperate with George, who still seemed winded from the short run. The man looked up, adjusting the white goggles that sat atop his head.

He was cute, in the way that kittens and bunnies were cute.

"We still have to move fast," George said simply, immediately starting to trek through the grass towards the forest.

Nick hummed in agreement, but wrinkled his nose once they were close to the trees. George laughed at the silliness of it all, and he continued to punch the tree with his bare fist until he was literally given a chunk of it.

Guess this virtual reality stuff wasn't so realistic after all.


End file.
